Dry or moist skin can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'worrying' to 'life-threatening'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.
Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose dry or moist skin, we could:
Cause | Probability | Status |
---|---|---|
Hypothyroidism | 98% | Confirm |
Need For Dietary Improvement | 26% | Unlikely |
Vitamin A Toxicity | 16% | Unlikely |
Diabetes I | 5% | Ruled out |
Dehydration | 3% | Ruled out |
Low Estrogens | 3% | Ruled out |
EFA Need | 0% | Ruled out |
Mercury Toxicity | 0% | Ruled out |
Skin moistness. Without moisturizer, how dry or moist is your skin?
Possible responses:
→ Very dry→ A bit dry → Average / don't know → A bit oily/moist → Definitely oily/moist |
As the body tries to conserve remaining fluid, water is drawn from the skin to be used in more important processes.
Signs of Type 1 Diabetes, as it progresses, may include dry skin, blurred vision, unexplained weight loss and a thin, malnourished appearance.
Hypothyroidism can manifest as dry or scaly or yellowish skin.
Excessively dry, persistently itchy skin is a possible symptom of kidney disease.
Exceptionally dry skin has been associated with mercury toxicity.
Chapped lips and dry skin, which may be early symptoms, will occur in a majority of patients with vitamin A toxicity, particularly in dry weather.